Burden of non-communicable diseases in India: Findings from the ICMR-INDIAB study

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is rising quickly in low- and middle-income nations like India. In order to develop preventive strategies and comprehend the effects of diabetes as a contributing factor to other non-communicable diseases (NCDs), it is essential to have robust population-level epidemiological data. It is challenging to generalize findings from regional studies given the diversity of India’s population, cultural practices, and dietary patterns.

The primary goal of the national Indian Council of Medical Research-India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) study was to produce high-quality data on the prevalence of diabetes and other NCDs, such as dyslipidemia, hypertension, and obesity at the country and state levels.

This is a door-door cross-sectional, multi-stage stratified sampled survey from 2008 to 2020; 31 Indian states and union territories were surveyed for the ICMR-INDIAB study.

National projections for NCDs from this study include 101.3 million with diabetes, 136.0 million with prediabetes, 315.5 million with hypertension, 254.2 million with generalized obesity, 213.3 million with hypercholesterolemia, and 185.7 million with high HDL cholesterol. Knowledge and awareness of diabetes are still largely inadequate. Less than 8% of individuals met the treatment goals for glycemia, blood pressure, and lipid goals. Physical inactivity levels are high in India. Reducing carbohydrate intake and increasing protein intake could help in the prevention of progression of dysglycemia as well as reversal of diabetes.

In India, the prevalence of diabetes, prediabetes, and other metabolic risk factors such as obesity, dysglycemia, blood pressure, and physical inactivity is rising.